Hello everyone! How are you doing today? I'm going to gush a bit first but then I want to talk to the dreamers out there who want to write a book. But first, this week has been awesome for me because I'm working with Chronicle Books on the Decorate Book Tour for the US and it's all coming together now! I can't believe they are sending me on a tour around the states so I'm going to visit as many places as I can in 10 days to meet lots of you! I'm traveling alone and feeling a bit shaky kneed about it but how many times in life does your publisher send you on a book tour!? So I'm going for it with a huge smile, my camera to record the entire adventure, and I can't wait to meet you guys because it's going to be so rad to hug so many that I've only tweeted and emailed up until now. I also plan to adopt some of you as dinner and lunch pals so I hope you don't mind. After the official US book tour, I'll return to the states to be a keynote speaker along with Oprah's own Cristina Ferrare at The Creative Connection in St. Paul on September 15th (come if you can!) and I'll be doing a book signing there on the 16th as well so if you can't catch me on my little book tour this summer then I'll be back in September in St. Paul!

Once Chronicle has everything carved in stone (we've been working on this for months so it feels good to be nearly finished) I will announce the dates on decor8 and also on the Decorate Facebook fan page. And a huge by the way... I'd like to thank all of you for supporting Decorate, making it a Wall Street Journal Bestseller at #2, and for keeping it in the #1 spot since it pre-ordered back in early March on both Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. I mean, hello! This is some kind of wonderful. I know my publishers are still shaking their heads as I think they knew the book would do well but not "sell-out" well, because it sold out in the US online and the reprints won't arrive until the beginning of June. It's also being reprinted in the UK. Insane, right?!?

Decorate - A Wall Street Journal Bestseller at #2 - because of YOU.

So now for the dreamers in the house who want to write... Well first, you have been so supportive of me and as a result, I feel invigorated and so positive -- you guys have shown the world that a blogger can go from "just" a blogger to a best selling author thanks to readers who truly care to make that possible. I was told by a friend once that a publisher told her that the readership a blog has wouldn't translate to book sales. I've been told that bloggers who write books can fail miserably and that people who blog may not have the skill to author a book because blogging is so much different from "real" writing. While all of that can be true, I refused to believe it. After all, I'm the girl back in 2005 who was pitching story ideas to shelter magazines about blogging and had them turn me down flat saying, "Blogs will never amount to anything, don't bother."

Well it looks like all of us who are blogging, the little engines who could, are the big engines who DID. And that sorta rocks when you think about it. We as the blogging community are out there voicing our opinions, planning events, being invited to big time events, being seen in major publications and on television, getting book deals... I guess the saying is true that, "if you build it they will come." It's wonderful to have so much faith in something and to stick through it (in good and in bad times) only to see that the something you invested so much of your energy in actually paid off - and for me and so many of you who are blogging, all of the time and energy we're spending building so many important connections has paid off - immensely.

 

8 Page Spread about me and Decorate in Red magazine, UK.

I've heard some publishers and so many others say discouraging things about bloggers who want to write a "real" book and about the collapsing publishing market in general, that it would have been easy to not bother pursuing my dream to be a published author. Despite the negativity I decided that I would do it anyway because brick walls aren't always there to stop us but to see how badly we truly want something, right? Plus, I had this feeling in my heart that it was the right direction for me to take and that if I jumped, the net would appear - and that net was you, so my new saying is,

"Jump and then the interNET will appear."

I believe that like never before. I want you to believe it too.

And the result of going for it... Well, I wrote a book - yes that's true - but YOU did the most important part, you bought it, are still buying it, and are showing so much support that I wake up each day feeling luckier than the day before. love you guys, thank you for making this whole book thing so worthwhile for me. I've had hundreds of blogs write about the book (see here) and 5 star reviews online at various stores, Decorate is being talked about in huge publications from InStyle, Canadian House & Home, Good Housekeeping to Livingetc and and 8 page spread in Red magazine (shown above).

Another unexpected perk, since the end of last year my daily readership has swelled to over 45,000 unique visitors each day. I cannot believe how many people are finding me through word-of-mouth online thanks to all of you in addition to the help of my fabulous publishers Jacqui Small/Aurum Press, Chronicle Books and Murdoch Books for sharing my book in advance at the big fairs and book events in New York and London. I'm so happy to welcome new readers to decor8.

Decorate is the most exciting thing I've ever done in my life, outside of getting married, so thank you all for giving me some pretty amazing moments and for accepting my gift to you who follow decor8 as loyally as you despite the billions of other things you have to see and do online these days. Decorate is a gift from me that you can hold and enjoy for years to come and since you've accepted it with such enthusiasm and support then I'm ready to not only go out there and meet you guys but I think I'll continue to write and blog and think of even new things to get involved in to inspire and encourage you -- because I love knowing that something I've done is out there making a difference, making you feel inspired and making you feel part of this community of design blogging because you are - we are all a part of it and it's so, so special. I will forever remember this "blog era" as some of the best days of my life.

So in the end, I want you to believe in your dreams because sometimes good stuff can and does happen and you often have to just believe in your dream and act on it and see what results. Sure, it's a risk but I believe that the greater risk is to not try at all and to never know if your dream could have come true.

What do you think?

I'll be back in a moment with a gorgeous home with a country modern touch, so stay tuned..

[images: holly becker (top), wsj (middle), red magazine (bottom).]